Tag: Media Journal 3

In our mass communications class, we had to go without any kind of media for 24 hours. This media journal was difficult but not impossible, even though it seemed that way at times. Instead of consuming media I played my piano, cleaned out my closet and went outside and played with my dog. The day seemed much longer since I didn’t have so many distractions to keep me preoccupied. To say this media journal was easy would be a lie, but it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I did miss watching YouTube videos and scrolling through various social medias. The worst part was not being able to talk to my fiancé. I told him ahead of time that I was not going to be able to use my phone or any kind of media that day. He wasn’t happy about the situation, but he is very supportive of school so he was understanding. I still live with my parents so not using media had no effect on our communication. Some of the things I didn’t miss about media was all the political propaganda that is still floating around on Facebook and the redundancy of the news.

Over all, I think this media journal was a learning experience but I don’t know if I would ever do it again. I do think it is something people should do at least once. It is an eye-opening experience because you don’t realize how much of your life is surrounded by media until you go without it for 24 hours. Through the semester we have had to do three media journals. I feel like they have helped me learn more about my media consumption and how it affects my life. On a scale of one to ten, I’m a six when it comes to me controlling the media or the media controlling me. The reason I say a six is because I do enjoy using the media and I use it a lot. However, I don’t think I am controlled by the media because I can go without it for some time. I plan to approach media in the future the same way I do now. After doing the 24 hours without, I do think I will cut back some because I get more done in a day without the distractions. I would recommend doing these media journals because they help give a new perspective on one’s media use.